Data Analyst

Turn complicated statistics into easy-to-understand information.

What does a Data Analyst do?

Information makes the world go ’round. And in today’s world, that information comes in greater quantities than ever before. It’s a good thing data analysts are around to help consolidate and decipher all that information for others to use.

As a data analyst, you can choose what industry to work in. Insurance and mortgage companies commonly rely on you to run the calculations that weigh risk. For example, you might gather the incident reports on a thousand drivers, put that data through grueling mathematical equations, and produce a pie chart that details the number of accidents based on age. Data analysts make similar computations on those who pay a monthly mortgage, drive a certain type of car, have a certain number of children, or work in a particular industry.

Outside of information used to make decisions about loans and insurance, you also crunch numbers for a variety of other industries. For example, you might work on a political campaign, make calculations for government-run programs, or use data to help forecast business trends and develop marketing strategies.

Regardless of the information, you process, this is a highly technical and mathematical position. It requires computer, science, number, and communication skills. Each of these talents allows you to break down massive quantities of information into useable, bite-sized chunks so that it’s more accessible for the business using it.